Government legislation seldom accomplishes its stated intention. But one bill approved by New Mexico lawmakers this week is certain to make things better for us all — because it relaxes government oversight. Senate Bill 56, sponsored by Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, and signed by Gov. Susana Martinez, lifts restrictions on hay hauling. Before Tuesday, oversized […]

QCS Staff A bill supporting $335,000 in capital outlay funds for Quay County and the City of Tucumcari is in the process of being approved in the state Legislature. House Tax and Revenue Committee substitute for House Bill 191 earmarks $185,000 for Quay County Courthouse renovations and $150,000 for Tucumcari trash collection trucks. “This is […]

Military retirees in living in New Mexico may see their state income tax burden reduced under a bill introduced this week in the State House by Representative Dennis Roch (R-Texico). House Bill 162 proposes to exempt twenty-five percent of a retiree’s military pension income from the state’s personal income tax, with that percentage increasing to […]

Thomas Garcia A bill that proposes splitting Quay County into four legislative districts now awaits the Gov. Susan Martinez’s final decision. H.B. 39 passed through the House and Senate before the special legislative session ended last weekend despite bipartisan opposition. It would split Tucumcari’s representation into legislative Districts 63, 67, 68 and 70. By Tues-day, […]

Baxter Black In the southwest the price of hay can be daunting to horse owners. I keep our ranch horses up in the corral. When hay gets above $10.00 a bale, I actually weigh each feeding! Clyde has a little band of broodmares on his southern California operation. His place is sandwiched by irrigated alfalfa […]

Freedom New Mexico The current appropriations bill — the Continuing Resolution — funding the federal government is set to expire Friday. If it does, it would cause a shutdown of some portions of the government. With the stakes so high, congressional Republicans ought to, as Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., recently told a group in Newport […]

Baxter Black Last fall the animal rights groups put Proposition B on the ballot in Missouri. The bill was written to reduce the number of breeding kennels that produce usually purebred puppies for pet stores. The bill was opposed by the Missouri Veterinary Association, the American Kennel Club and other animal-related groups. The bill failed […]

F or years another potential multibil- lion fiscal catastrophe has been brewing, obscured by higher-profile storms created by taxpayer bailouts of Detroit and Wall Street and the looming crash of underfunded public employee pension plans. For the first time, taxpayers may become responsible for the nongovernmental pension liabilities of union collective bargaining contracts in construction, […]

During the debates on federalized health care, there was no shortage of people projecting the negative consequences of such a policy. Those consequences are beginning to be realized. Two of the country’s largest insurance providers, UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield, already have stopped issuing new coverage for children and other plans. The Associated Press […]

Americans must be ever-vigilant that, in the name of combating terrorism, we don’t also undermine our vital liberties. That’s why we’re troubled by the U.S. Supreme Court decision last week that upheld banning even clearly nonmaterial support to groups the government considers terrorist organizations. In Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote […]